Outside Office Hours
by FreckledWriter
Summary: Gradishar had to become hard. Chicago turned her from a bright-eyed young woman to a deadly shark. When one of the hardest men in Chicago struts into her life she glad she is hard. She wears her callouses proudly. She assumes he will appreciate this. Instead, he questions her, and for the first time in years, she questions herself.
1. Chapter 1

They call this the Windy City, but I call it the City of Ice. That's much more appropriate. The wind always blows, but you get used to that. But the ice only crawls across the city on certain nights. Those nights are the nights that people slip and fall. They slip and fall into piles of money, into piles of cocaine, some men claim to fall into piles of vaginas. When the idiots blab too much about their good fortune, I'm there to even the score.

No one is allowed to manhandle others into giving them half their stuff. No one is allowed to make money without paying some back in taxes. No one is allowed to abuse their power. They try, but that's what police are for. The police are there to make sure everyone is following the rules, even the hard rules. But who's there to police the police? Well, that'd be me.

I'm good at my job, and I earned my job. I paid my dues. I will not waver when faced with hard tasks. This is why. This is why I was chosen to deal with him.

Hank Voight.

The higher ups at the Ivory Tower say they want to change. They say they want to see Chicago PD become a respectable Police Force, a modern Police Force. I sigh as I look over his file one more time. We have to meet outside of office hours. It's the only way to keep it a secret that one of the toughest, crooked, cops in the city is now squeaky clean. Either my superiors think I'm amazing at my job, and thus able to handle him, or they know I'm amazing at my job and they're afraid I'm going to take theirs. If Voight screws this up, whoever is working with him is toast too. So they saddled me with Voight. The man practically spits at me when he talks. He's old school, probably still calls us "the rat squad" behind our backs. But he does seem to be willing to listen.

I have only met with him once. Got to see him in person, feel him out. He shows his age in his face, but he is still in shape. I have no doubt he could still pick up a little gang banger and shake a story out of him, and he'd better. Voight got the deal of the century, getting out for good behavior before displaying that good behavior. It is amazing what lawyers agree to anymore.

I work out and stay in shape because deep in my chest there lies a hope that I can do regular police work again someday. Maybe for a different city, like Flint. They need the help and would welcome me with open arms. There would be few people there that I would have to cater to, but there is always a few. There's always someone bigger than you, or someone who has more pull than you. You have to play the game no matter what field you're on. Flint would be a smaller playing field though, and I've had enough of the big city.

For now, I am babysitting Voight. I have to make sure that he doesn't blow up and ruin everything. He prefers to meet by the river. He says he needs the fresh air after being inside all day. He tells me about how he's got to make sure that the same players are still in charge. Like he wasn't communicating with the outside while he was in Stateville. Whatever floats his boat. I just need results. He's talking about how much he loves this city. My love for the city has grown as cold as ice. I can't find a single thing about it to love.

It's our third meeting. We're done talking. He's walking away, I'm turning to walk away, then he stops. I wonder if he's going to spit out the question that's been rolling around in his head. The entire time we've been talking I could hear a question clanking around in his brain. This should be good.

"Why I.A.?"

Oh wow. Leave it to him to ask the deep question that others are afraid to. I think about giving him the usual answer that gets others off of my back, but I know it won't work on him. He is one smart cookie, and he wants the real answer.

"Because that badge hanging on your belt means something. It stands for safety and honor. The people who wear it are supposed to uphold the law, not use it for personal gain, or to scare others, or to bully them. I went into I.A. to make sure that the people wearing the badge are worthy of it."

To my surprise he didn't sneer, or try to defend his actions. He smiled a genuine smile at me and nodded his head. Then he left.


	2. Chapter 2

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The next time I have to meet him it's raining, so we agree to meet in my car in a parking garage halfway between our offices. It's late and dark. Hank walks over and gets in my black SUV like he's done it a thousand times before. Like we're friends and he doesn't have $5,000 in "street tax" in his pocket. This must be why the gang members respect him. He has no intention of taking any shit off of anybody, and it's apparent.

"This from Bones?" I ask.

"Yeah. I think he must have robbed that mobile phone store because he didn't whine about handing that over this time."

"I don't need guesses, I need useable Intel." I stick the envelope in my console.

"That is usable. Check the cameras, look for clothing that matches that gang."

"I need more than that Hank."

"You know what I think you need, Gradishar?"

Oh God, you never know what he's going to say, so I answer for him.

"A house in the Hamptons where it's warm? Yes, that would be fantastic. Until then, I need to be putting some heavy hitters behind bars."

He could not be deterred. "I think you need a nice dinner."

"You know what? I do! As soon as you get out of the car, I will."

"You shouldn't eat dinner alone. Let me take you out."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "No, I think eating with you would ruin my appetite."

"That's what you say now, but I wonder what you would say if I reached across this console and grabbed your face and put my mouth on your mouth?"

I held my breath. How big were this man's balls? I could end him for that. Of course, it would be hard to prove that he had said it. I inhale through my nose and look out the windshield at nothing. It was all I could do not to stare at his lips.

"Don't tell me that you're one of those guys who thinks he's God's gift to women? Let me guess, some 18-year-old girl once told you that you were good in bed and now you think you are."

I had said it in a very dry voice. Now I looked at him as if I was bored. He smirked. Hank knew what he was and who he was. That was what made him so hard to back down.

"How long?"

"How long what?" I wrinkled up my eyebrows in what I hoped was an intimidating expression, but my heart skipped a beat because I knew what he was about to insinuate.

"You know what. How long since you had a man hold you down on a bed and give you what you wanted? How long since you had a man make you pant? How long has your hair been up in that neat bun and not a tangled mess on a pillow?"

I cursed myself for pausing. I was stupid for taking a breath before shutting him down after the first comment. I was stupid for pausing now. But some small twisted part of me, deep in the recesses of my brain wanted to know if he would be like that in bed. If he would be a man that would take control, and give a girl a break. The problem with being a supervisor is that you had to make so many decisions. At the end of the day, I _did_ want a man who knew what to do and who did it without stopping to ask for directions.

"You!" I started to tear him down, to tell him just how unattractive he was. I started to tell him how he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell with me but then he did it. He did what no man had been able to get up the guts to do in 2 years. He grabbed me by the chin and kissed me.

Fireworks crackled in my brain. Exploding stars clouded my vision and my ears were filled with the sound of it. Hank twisted his mouth over mine and I sat there, like a 20-year-old secretary happy for the acknowledgment. He pulled back a few inches from my face, but he still held my chin in his fingers. He took a breath and looked in my eyes.

"Damn you, Hank," I said, gasping for breath. "I've never been inappropriate at work, but you just had to pull me off of that ledge, didn't you?"

"I could see you trying to work up the courage to jump, and after so many months in prison, I'm ready for anything."

"You ready to get punched in the face? That's what I should do to you."

"But you won't. I've been where you're at. You're top dog and everyone's scared of you, no one wants to get close to you. And no one outside of work understands you. It's lonely at the top."

He said it in his very matter-of-fact way of speaking, and it was a fact. Being the boss gave you an air that made you seem untouchable, and women need to be touched. I leaned over and kissed him again. Reaching across the console I pulled him closer. We kissed for a while. When he reached across the SUV with his other hand and slid his hand up my arm, I pulled back and looked away. It was too much. A week ago this man wanted to toss me in the East River. This was crazy.

"Alright, enough. We both know this isn't going anywhere."

"You know, you don't have to like someone to screw them. They have this thing now, called friends with benefits."

"Yeah." I said dryly, "In my day that was called being a slut."

"Well, it's a new day. We don't have to be friends to screw. Screwing doesn't mean we're betrothed."

"So what? Enemies with benefits?" I said sarcastically.

"How's about me being a co-worker with husband benefits? I'm not going to marry you, you don't want to take me home to your parents. We just need each other during certain moments."

I started to take stock of my life. How had I gotten to this point? Sneaking around in parking garages to get goals accomplished at work. I had been thinking a lot lately but it hadn't really gotten me anywhere, or at least, it hadn't gotten me any farther. So I stopped thinking and just did what my first instinct was.

"Fine. But we can't go to your home or mine, so where?"

"I am certain this is why hotels exist." Hank was smirking again.


	3. Chapter 3

It was actually really easy. I waited in my vehicle while he went and got a key to a room on the ground floor. We found a cheap motel where we didn't think we would be spotted by any other cops. He didn't look at me as he walked back toward the SUV, he just walked to the motel door and opened it. I got out and quietly locked the vehicle, using the door lock instead of the key fob.

Hank was holding open the door to the room, I walked in like I owned the place. I unwrapped my full-length black coat and threw it on the chair by the bed. No use in standing around asking if he wanted a drink. We had come here for one purpose, and we both knew it.

I heard the door shut behind me. I heard him turn the lock. I began to unbutton my light blue blouse, fumbling with the buttons. I was facing the bed. I heard his heavy leather jacket land on the nearby desk. Hank took me by the elbow and spun me around, catching me with his other hand. He put his face to mine, he was smiling gently. I would never admit to anyone how his gravely, rumbling, voice made me feel warm inside.

"Don't be nervous. I'm not gonna hurt you."

 _How did he manage to read my mind?_

 _"_ Slow down, let me touch you."

He put his forehead to mine as he whispered to me. He was moving slowly, and I was glad. I slowly finished unbuttoning my shirt and tossed it onto the chair. I had a white tank top underneath it. Hank ran his hands down my sides, then grabbing the bottom of my tank, he pulled it over my head in one motion. At that moment I was thankful for every set up I had ever done in my life. I brought my hands to rest on his shoulders. I wondered if he had been this muscular before prison, or if he got in shape while serving time.

He buried his face in my neck and it was all I could do to not drop as I went weak in the knees. I felt my bra come loose. I had a moment of panic, but it was quickly gone when I saw the look on his face. Hank was thoroughly enjoying himself. As he started fondling my breasts I unbuckled his belt. He was still fully dressed. He dug his fingers into my hair and pulled it down. I raised an eyebrow at him. Luckily I had a brush in the SUV and I'd be able to look presentable after we were through.

"I want to see you undone."

He started shuffling me backwards, toward the bed. I was trying to tug down his jeans, watching him fall over in them would have been funny, but he shoved me over on the bed before I could get them down very far. I laid sideways across the bed flat on my back. He pulled his flannel shirt and white undershirt off over his head, and I was shocked at how defined his abs were. He kicked off his work boots and slid off his pants. While I was still looking at the thing that made him strut like a peacock when he walked, he pulled my slacks and panties off and suddenly I was completely naked and all of the gentleness was gone from him.

Hank Voight was climbing on top of me. I must have lost my mind. He planted one hand by my head to steady himself, the other hand was pushing my thighs apart. I gasped as he bit down on my collarbone. It was the perfect amount of pressure to take me out of my head and make me more present in the moment, without leaving a bruise. I clawed his back with my perfectly manicured nails as he plunged into me. This was crazy but worth it. I hadn't felt like this in a long, long, time. I couldn't help but pant his name into his ear.


	4. Chapter 4

Voight suggested meeting in the parking garage from now on. We are in the middle of winter which is a brutally cold time to be outside in Chicago, so I agreed. We managed to act like work colleagues the next time we met. I refused to get clingy and he refrained from any inappropriate comments. The time after that went a little differently.

He showed up with purple bruises on his cheek, so I knew whatever scuffle he had been in, had happened recently.

"Did someone not want to pay their street tax, or did a random citizen just get tired of your cowboy act?" I had to sneer when I asked. If I had let any softness, any hint of concern, slip into my voice I would have looked clingy.

"Some white college kid with a sense of entitlement surprised me by being able to throw a punch." He looked annoyed but yet still firm. He was wearing his Doc Martins with faded jeans and a fitted leather jacket. With all of those clothes on it was still evident that he was in good shape. What idiot took a swing at this guy?

"Some brat surprised you, huh? It happens."

"Yeah, but it still pisses me off. I've been in a bad mood ever since."

"As opposed to your normally sunny disposition?"

"Hey! I can be nice when I wanna."

I roll my eyes and try to redirect the conversation back to business, but he keeps going.

"I've been _nice_ to you." He smirks and it makes him look ten years younger. "Maybe I need to be _nice_ again so you remember."

"Oh, I remember. That's okay."

"Come on. You're still wound tight and I need to blow off some steam. Let's go somewhere."

I pause. It's Friday night, but I'm not expected anywhere. It's the end of the work day but none of my colleagues wanted to have drinks tonight. Hank, per usual, sees me pause and goes in for the kill. I'm in a purple wool skirt that goes past my knees but suddenly it's up over my thighs and his hand is wrapped around my knee. As his fingers find the soft, sensitive skin of my inner thigh I give up.

"One last time." I say it like I mean it. I hope I do.

We pick a different hotel. Hank pays because he always has cash. I don't like being on the shady side of town, but I feel safe with Hank near. At least, I do now. A month ago I kept my hand near my gun when I met with him.

Inside the hotel room I run my hands over his chest. He's pulling my coat and blazer and shirt off. It would be faster if we didn't take off all of our clothes, but we both need the physical contact. We both need to feel another human touch us. And that's all this is, I tell myself. I'm humanizing myself. I'm helping him transition back into society. We're becoming human again.

He's unzipping my skirt so I start undoing his belt. We pull at each other's clothes until we're both naked. He leaves my hair for last. He is not gentle this time when he pulls my bun apart. I shake my head to get his hand out of my hair. I run my hand through my hair, trying to make it look good, and step backwards. He follows me, he's not gentle at all tonight. No light kisses on my neck, no reassuring hands rubbing my back, no whispers. Just his intense stare.

He bends his knees and picks me up by my ass. My heart skips a beat. I haven't had a man pick me up since I was in college. Then he lays me on the bed, positioning me in the middle of it, and begins nipping and sucking his way down my body.

I have become a lazy lover. I lay there moaning with my eyes closed. I manage to hook a leg around his middle, reassuring myself he is in fact real and I'm not lying in my apartment uptown imagining this. Hank bites my inner thigh which brings me back to the moment and I am certain this is real. I half sit up and gasp at him. But then he puts his tongue in the center of me and I throw my head back and arch my entire body.

He must be the devil. I'm sure of it. No man could be this good. I'm gasping and recovering from a powerful orgasm, panting hard with my eyes closed, when I feel his hands on either side of me. He's climbing on top of me. The magic will last for a little while longer.

He gently kisses my neck, as if apologizing for the love bites. I rub the back of his head with one hand and help support him on top of me with the other hand. He massages my chest and stomach with one hand, giving me a moment's rest before getting his.

The way he moves against me, we feel like one body. He puts his nose to my nose looking me in the eyes. I start to moan and he smiles. I put my left leg flat down on the bed and curl my right leg around his hip. I can tell that was a good decision as he closes his eyes at the sensation. He starts moving faster. I arch my pelvis slightly and see stars. I'm vaguely aware of him grunting.

It's almost like we melt together inside of a supernova. I lose track of time and everything else. It's several moments before we open our eyes. He kisses my forehead and gets up. He sits on the edge of the bed and sorts out our clothes. I lay still for a moment longer, not wanting to move. I realize that I don't want to leave this room.

AN: I'm getting braver with my writing, and I hope, more mature. Please read my other stories and leave me a review here telling me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

I have left my hair down and curled it. When the Female Police Officers of Chicago meet, those of us who still have long hair curl it and wear it down. I've been wondering how Hank would react to it since I sprayed it with finishing spray this morning.

I enjoy every moment of our meeting. It's always gives me a boost to be able to talk openly with the other female officers with no men around. Some cops avoid me, even here, because I'm still I.A. But it's encouraging for the most part. We meet in the Radisson. They offer us all a free night, and I'm using mine tonight. It's starting to clear out so I call Hank's personal phone. I get his voicemail.

"Hey. Call me. I have a good place to meet tonight."

I'm sure he will be able to hear the smile in my voice. I wait for the rest of the female officers to clear out before I head up to my room. I take my navy blue blazer off but leave the rest of my outfit the way it is. After 10 minutes I decide to watch TV while I wait. He is at work today so I'm giving him time to respond.

After an hour I debate calling him again, when my phone rings. Butterflies shoot through my stomach. I answer and say hello.

"Hey, it's me." It could only be one man on the other end of the line.

"Hi. Hey. So when do you get off work?"

He pauses. I've yet to learn to be in attack mode when he pauses.

"I'll probably be at the precinct until 11 tonight. It's been a long day. You'll be glad to know we made a big bust. Is where you want to meet close?"

The butterflies have fallen into a pit in my stomach.

"Actually I'm all the way across town. At the Radisson."

"Oh. Yeah... I know those rooms are expensive but I'm not gonna make it tonight. Are you already checked in?"

The butterflies have been eaten by the dragon that lies dormant in the deepest recesses of my soul.

"Yeah." I take a breath and try to cover up my disappointment. "It's not a big deal. I needed a night out. I may go take in a show and then come back and drink something out of the minibar."

"Alright. I'll call you later this week." I tell him goodnight and he hangs up.

I sit still for a moment on the bed. He knows I'm not going to see a show. All of the tickets for any show in the city would have sold out yesterday. I decide to eat ice cream while I take a bath. I drink everything that's in the minibar.

Voight stands in front of me, by the river. We are back where we started. The city would be pitch black if not for those of us burning the midnight oil.

"Why would you encourage Antonio to take over the unit when you've got a deal with me?" He asks, like I owe him an answer. Like we're friends.

"Listen, I've got a job to do. You weren't making any headway so I was hoping Dawson could be productive. But he is content to languish under you, don't worry." All of the softness is gone from my voice. There is no hesitating, I already knew what I was going to say, long before I got his call wanting to meet by the river.

"Speaking of Antonio," Voight's pauses are small, I've no room to cut him off. "He told me about his partner. About how he didn't deserve to be chased off the force. What was up with that?"

"Sean Patterson?" I try to decide what I want to say. He is determined to throw everything in my face and make me feel terrible. Every word is designed to cut me like a switchblade pulled from a gang banger's pocket.

"Sean Patterson was weak and that has nothing to do with me! He could have moved to a different state and became a cop again. He took the easy way out. You have to be strong to make it in this city! I had to show the captains in I.A. that I was serious about the rules and calling people out for breaking them."

"So you are a ladder climber."

"I'm a woman who wanted a career! So sue me! I had to prove that I could be tough, and I did."

"Enjoy your ivory tower." Hank turns to leave without another word.

I call Flint in the morning before I leave for work. They say that two weeks is plenty of time for them to find an office for me. To hell with Chicago. I tried to keep this city honest and all it did was break my heart.


End file.
